SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — What puzzles fans most about Tim Lincecum is how he can look do dominating in one start and so average over his next five.

Think real estate. Location, location, location. So much emphasis has been placed on Lincecum’s loss of velocity, and it’s a factor.

But on Wednesday’s no-hitter against the Padres, he had control from the opening pitch, and that’s his future. Location is his bread and butter, not the fastball. The gun still clocks him at 90 mph, and that’s still a major league hummer.

Lincecum’s problem is that he needs 25-30 pitches to get out of the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd inning. When he gets gassed, he gets hit.

The bottom line is if Lincecum can harness his control on a consistent basis, he’ll regain his status as a premier pitcher. He just celebrated his 30th birthday, so age isn’t a factor. You don’t throw a no-hitter because you’re lucky. You throw it because you’ve got no-hit stuff. And you hit your spots.

When asked how he planned to celebrate his latest no-hitter Linecum said, “I’m just going to go home and sit on my ass.”